


First Fight

by anemptymargin



Series: New Beginnings [7]
Category: Psych
Genre: Community: older_not_dead, Episode Tag, F/M, Older Characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-26
Updated: 2012-05-26
Packaged: 2017-11-06 01:07:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/413026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anemptymargin/pseuds/anemptymargin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their first argument might be their last.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Fight

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [older_not_dead](http://older-not-dead.livejournal.com/) promptathon 9, New Beginnings. Episode tag for 6x08 The Tao of Gus.
> 
> Spoilers: The Tao of Gus, Shawn Rescues Darth Vader
> 
> Prompt: ?. ?/?. First fight

“Henry, could I talk to you in my office, please?” Karen dropped by his desk after lunch with a stern look on her face. If she were talking to anyone else, it would have been clear by the tone of her voice that a dressing down was about to take place.

 

“Oh! Sure, yeah… just let me finish up this page and I’ll be right in.” He looked up and flashed a smile, not yet unnerved by her scowl. He assumed it was probably all part of her routine to steal a little time alone.

 

Karen frowned deeper and declared; “You have five minutes,” before returning to her office with a fresh cup of coffee.

 

“I would not want to be you right now old man,” Lassiter groaned from behind his monitor. “The last time she made that face at me, I had to do another six months of department mandated anger management.”

 

Henry shrugged it off, slack-shouldered. “Probably just something about Shawn. No big deal.”

 

Carlton nodded slowly, offering him a somewhat disbelieving shake of his head. He was familiar with her ‘Spencer is an idiot’ face – he liked that face. After a couple minutes, he asked casually; “You taking the boat out this weekend?”

 

“If I don’t make any plans between then and now, I might.” He’d been begging Karen for a weekend together – they could do anything she wanted as long as it was just them together – but so far an uneventful pair of days they both had off just wasn’t going to happen.

 

“Hmm,” Lassiter nodded again, “let me know if you’re looking for a first mate. I could use the time away.”

 

“What, after last time? There’s a good reason it’s been…”

 

“Mister Spencer!” Karen’s voice came menacingly from the open door to her office. “If you’d like to keep your badge, I strongly suggest getting in my office. _Now_.”

 

If she was just selling the ruse, she was doing a damn good job. Without further comment, Henry forced himself up to his feet and to her office. “Hey… getting a little impatient for our date night?” He grinned after closing the door,  crossing the room quickly before leaning in to give her a small kiss from across the side of the desk.

 

“Sit down, Henry.” Karen frowned again and opened a manila folder with an internal log containing several highlighted lines. “Take a look at this.”

 

The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and Henry sat down in front of the file. “What am I looking at here?”

 

Karen took a deep breath and then let it out with a sigh. “I got an interesting call from the computer forensics guys this morning. Apparently, yesterday one of the computers owned by Eli remotely accessed our database – specifically a traffic camera on the corner near where the alleged murder of

Detective Cooper took place.” She didn’t pause, her eyes trained on him as she laid out everything she knew; “As you understand, that’s of interest to the department. Under further investigation we found that the database was not hacked, in fact the computer was given remote access from your terminal using your user name and password.”

 

“Karen… I…” Henry stammered uselessly, he’d done it, sure, but she had to understand that Shawn needed something to work with and it was such a long shot he didn’t think it’d be caught.

 

“No,” she shot back, the lines around her mouth even deeper than before. “Henry, your login information was attached to that relay and I need to know if Shawn did it with or without your knowledge.”

 

Henry looked down at the evidence; he wasn’t going to lie to her. Shawn would probably have lied and said that he used Henry’s information without even a second thought – but he couldn’t bring himself to lie to her even before they were intimate. It wasn’t right, even if it meant prosecution; he had to do the right thing. “It was me,” he looked up at her stone-faced, “Shawn needed to see if there was anything on that corner that could help, so I went against my better judgment and let him remotely view my screen while I accessed the database. At no time would he have been able to do anything – I had total control.”

 

For a long moment, they were both silent, but he wasn’t shocked when Karen spoke again. “What the hell would have convinced you that it was a good idea? It’s a felony, Henry. I could not only have your job for this, but have you arrested.”

 

He shook his head, honestly? It hadn’t even occurred to him they’d get caught. He figured the chances of a car blowing the light in close proximity to the crime was such a long shot that it wouldn’t matter. He should have known better, in hindsight he knew full and well that he was still transmitting protected information over an insecure connection to a civilian. “I… I don’t know, Karen. Shawn needed…”

 

“Shawn needed it. Really, that’s the best you can do? It’s worth ruining your life because your son needs you to help him on a case he was only part of because his partner fell head over heels for a girl that has her head so far in the clouds she couldn’t even testify?” Karen’s face drew up into an angry grimace and she looked away. “You know what; over this last year, Shawn has gotten even more careless – which I didn’t even think was possible…”

 

“Karen, I…”

 

“No, Henry. I’m talking right now and I’m talking to you as someone who cares about you and what happens to you. I will not, I _cannot_ , stand by and let you break the law for him. It’s your job to make sure his little operation is as legal as possible… not to hinder an investigation by enabling his lie.”

 

“I didn’t think he’d actually find anything…”

 

“You know what, that’s even worse. You could have looked on your own and nobody would have ever known. While I may disagree with everything you did, you could have still gotten him the same information without me ever knowing.” She lowered her head, her voice taking on a sad tone when she looked back to him; “That was the deal, Henry. As your friend, I will turn a blind eye to small things as long as he’s getting the job done. I don’t want to know how he gets it done. But I can’t ethically allow you to break the law to help him. I mean, how many times does he have to almost get caught before you abandon this charade?”

 

Humbled, he swallows hard and lets the reality sink in; she doesn’t understand. Hell, he didn’t understand. As much as he hated the way Shawn went about being a detective, he was a detective – and in a way, that’s all Henry ever wanted for him… but on Shawn’s terms. He took the position to protect him, to guide him on the straight and narrow and hell, maybe even convince him that he should become a proper detective. He was good, and it hurt to see him be so good at what he does, and break every damn law that crosses his path to do so. “He beat the polygraph months ago, Karen… nobody questions his ability any more. I… I guess I just wanted to help him solve the case.”

 

She sighed again and shook her head, taking the file. “I… I can’t do this, Henry. This is exactly what I was afraid would happen. I should fire you for this, at least… I mean, honestly I should turn you in. If it were anyone else, I would turn them in.”

 

“I promise you,” he looked her in the eyes, strong and intently, “this will not happen again, I won’t put you in this position again.”

 

“No,” she nodded, closing the file. “No, you won’t, because it’s over. I’m going to shred this file and tell Archie that it’s been dealt with and the evidence isn’t admissible and then you’re going to go back to doing what you do and I’ll remain blissfully ignorant and not personally invested in your life.”

 

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

 

“I’m saying that this relationship was a bad idea and it’s hard enough to be your friend and know that in order to keep your son secure, you sometimes have to work outside the strictest letter of the law. Ethically, it was unwise to even consider a relationship with a subordinate.”

 

“A subordinate? Karen, come on… I know that’s not what I am to you. We’ve known each other for decades… I… I really, love…” His mouth wouldn’t form the words he knew could save him, he didn’t want to be the guy that pulled out the kryptonite in case of emergency to get out of a bad situation that’s entirely his own stupid fault. Instead, he stammered; “I love what we have… it’s a good thing and… and…” His mind grasping at straws, he unclipped his badge and threw it on her desk; “You want my badge, fine. I’ll turn myself in to IA – I’ll even take them the file myself. I’ll come clean on my role in everything.”

 

“Henry, stop…” she growled, “that’s not an option. I’m telling you, this is over, Henry. We can’t do this anymore. Not right now, not with where we are professionally.”

 

“Then I’ll retire again, I’ll write up a letter of resignation…”

 

“I won’t let you. You’re not done here, Henry. Shawn needs you and we both know it. If this situation implodes it’ll take the credibility of the department with it. I don’t think either of us is willing to let that happen.”

 

“So… what, then I’m just supposed to let you go because I did one stupid thing.”

 

“No, you’re supposed to let me go because I’m asking you to.”

 

Angry, unable to even form coherent words for a moment, Henry pushed up out of the chair and nodded; “Fine, Karen. If that’s what you really want. But if you change your mind, I still care. And I still think we can make this work despite this stupid argument.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of fictional parody in no way intended to infringe upon the rights of any individual or corporate entity. Any and all characters or celebrity personae belong to their rightful owners. Absolutely no money has or will be gained from this work. Please do not publicly link, repost or redistribute without letting me know first.


End file.
